Peel control



April 21, 1964 BELL, JR 3,129,616

PEEL. CONTROL Filed March 1, 1962 i 1 I Q l l 3/ Eh INVEN TOR. 6:02 M4vs 5:44, .Ie.

Arne/gins United States Patent 3,129,616 PEEL CONTRUL George Hays Bell,Jr., Salem, (Phio, assignor to The Morgan Engineering Co., Alliance,()hio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Mar. 1, 1962, Ser. No. 176,708 9Claims. (CI. 78-96) This invention relates to workpiece handling andmanipulating apparatus such as apparatus for handling and manipulatingof forgings in and about furnaces and forging presses and of the generaltype described in United States Patent No. 2,864,271 granted December16, 1958, to E. H. Kendall. The invention is concerned specifically withcontrol of the longitudinally extending and generally horizontal shaftor peel of such a forging manipulator.

As described in the aforementioned patent, the peel carries at itsforwardly projecting end a powerful pair of tongs or clamp which gripsand holds the workpiece. In order to adequately handle and manipulatethe workpiece, the peel is mounted for rotation about its longi tudinalaxis, for vertical translation of its longitudinal axis, for tilting ofits longitudinal axis in a vertical plane about a horizontal axis normalthereto, for tilting about a vertical axis normal to its longitudinalaxis or horizontal translation of its longitudinal axis and fordisplacement along its longitudinal axis. This invention provides a newand improved means for providing and controlling vertical translationand tilting in a vertical plane of the longitudinal axis of the peel.The other aforementioned movements and their control may be provided bythe means and in the manner described in the aforementioned patent or byany other suitable arrangement.

In forging operations, it is often desirable to maintain the axis of theworkpiece that is coincident with the longitudinal axis of the peel in aparallel or constant angular relationship with the plane of the forgingpress anvil. For example, as the transverse dimensions of a workpieceare reduced in a vertically operating forging press, the workpiece mustbe moved to and between a number of axially parallel positions in orderto maintain contact between the workpiece and the anvil surface. Inmanipulators such as the one described in the Kendall patent referred toabove, the peel is supported at two longitudinally spaced points alongits length by means which can only be separately and independently movedand controlled. Thus, the operator of such a forging manipulator mustseparately control and coordinate the two means operating to lower orraise the peel supporting points in order to maintain the desired axialparallelism between various positions of the peel and workpiecethroughout the forging operation.

Therefore, it is an object of my invention to provide improved andsimplified means for moving and controlling the peel of a forgingmanipulator of the general type described in the aforementioned Kendallpatent.

It is also an object of my invention to movably support such a peel attwo points longitudinally spaced along its length by means adapted topermit their independent and separate movement and control and whichalso are adapted to permit and to automatically insure their coordinated movement and control.

Another object is to provide means for automatically insuring the equaldisplacement in the same direction and along parallel paths of the twomovable supporting points of such a manipulator peel and thereby thetranslation of the peel to and between positions of longitudinalparallelism.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for automaticallytranslating such a peel to and between positions of longitudinalparallelism by operation of a single control.

The means for and manner of accomplishment of the foregoing objects aswell as other objects and advantages of my invention will becomeapparent from the following description of a preferred embodimentthereof taken together with the accompanying drawing which is a partiallongitudinal section of a forging manipulator of the general typedescribed in the Kendall Patent No. 2,864,271 referred to above andembodying the peel control of my invention.

As seen in the drawing, the peel control of my invention is embodied ina forging manipulator of the general form and arrangement as thatdescribed in the Kendall patent mentioned above. Briefly, themanipulator comprises a carriage indicated generally by referencenumeral 10 having supporting wheels 11, at least some of which areadapted to be power driven by a reversible motor 12 on and along rails(not shown) to provide for longitudinal movement of the carriage andthereby movement of the peel 14 along its longitudinal axis. Carriage 10is a boxlike assembly formed with a centrally disposed andlongitudinally extending tunnel-like opening in which is mounted andhoused the major portion of the elongate and rod-like peel 14. Theforward end of peel 14 projects from the forward side of carriage 1t)and carries a powerful pair of tongs 15 for grasping a workpiece. Tongs15 and their control and actuators are similar in structure andoperation to the gripping means fully described in the aforementionedKendall patent. The drawing may be viewed as a side elevation ofcarriage 10 with one side of the box-like assembly removed and exposingthe interior of the central tunnel-like passage, peel 14, and the peelsupporting and positioning apparatus.

Peel 14 is movably supported within carriage 10 at two longitudinallyspaced points along its length. The forward end of peel 14 is supportedby an assembly which includes a block 16 surrounding peel 14 near theforward end of carriage 10. Block 16 houses a sprocket mounted in andkeyed to peel 14 in the manner described in the aforementioned Kendallpatent. The vertical and parallel sides 17 of the block 16 slidablyengage hardened steel wear plates 18 mounted in parallel spaced apartfashion on the inside forward walls of the central tunnel-like openingin carriage 10. A depending loop of an endless chain 19 engages thesprocket within block 16 while the upwardly extending reaches of chain19 pass over a pair of pulleys 2t) journaled on carriage 10 above theforward end of the tunnellike opening therethrough.

An upper assembly, generally designated by reference numeral 21, ismounted on spaced parallel rods 22 for longitudinal movement back andforth along the upper side of the tunnel-like opening in carriage 10.Assembly 21 includes a rotatable sprocket (not shown) lying in asubstantially horizontal plane parallel to the direction of travel ofthe assembly on rods 22 and which engages a loop of endless chain 19 andwhich is driven by a reversible hydraulic fluid motor 23 through a wormgear reducer 24. Thus, through interconnection by chain 19, forward andrearward movement of assembly 21 including its sprocket along rods 22lowers and raises the forward support point of peel 14- while rotationof the sprocket in assembly 21 rotates peel 14 in the manner and as morefully described in the Kendall patent referred to above. Assembly 21 isshifted back and forth on rods 22 by a hydraulic motor indicatedgenerally by 25 and having one end anchored to assembly 21 at 26 and theother end to the rearward peel support apparatus at 27 and as describedmore fully below.

The rearward end of peel 14 is supported by apparatus which includes apair of cranks 28 (one of which is shown in the drawing and the other ofwhich is deleted) standing on opposite sides of peel 14 and held in alaterally spaced parallel relationship as by spacer tube 29. The cranks28 are mounted for rotation on and have a center of rotation about stubshafts 3t anchored at their ends to the carriage structure lltl. Peel 14is attached to and supported by cranks 28 through an annular bearing 31mounted for rotational and limited axial movement about and along peel14. A pair of horizontally aligned trunnions 32 carried by hearing 31are journaled for rotation in corresponding bearing blocks 33 attachedto cranks Z8 generally forward of their axis of rotation about stubshafts 3i). Coil springs 34 engage opposite ends of bearing 31 and attheir outer ends have suitable abutting relationship with flanges 35 onpeel 14 so that while the latter has a normally fixed longitudinalrelation to the supporting member or bearings 31, it can be displacedlongitudinally in either direction with respect thereto for theabsorption of shocks.

Hydraulic motors 25, which are connected to assembly 21 as at 26, arealso connected to cranks 23 as at 27. A pair of double-acting hydrauliccylinders 36 are connected to cranks 28 as at 37. The other ends ofhydraulic cylinders 36 are pivotally anchored to the frame of carriageit) as at 38.

The operation of the peel control described above and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing of a preferred form of my invention is as follows:The attitude of the longitudinal axis of peel 14 in a vertical planewith respect to a horizontal, i.e. the tilt of peel 14-, is controlledby hydraulic motors 25. Assuming that the cranks 255 are maintained in afixed position by hydraulic cylinders 36, it will be apparent that theextension of hydraulic motors 25 will move upper assembly 21 forwardalong its sup porting rods 22 thereby lowering both of the upwardlyextending reaches of chain 19 and thus the forward end of peel 14. Sincetrunnions 32 or the support point of the rearward end of peel 14 remainsfixed, the peel will tilt about trunnions 32 into a position with itsforward end lower than its rearward end. The maximum depression of thelongitudinal axis of peel 14 from a horizontal through trunnions 32 isindicated by dashed line 39. By retraction of hydraulic motors 25, ofcourse, the reverse motion can be accomplished and the forward end ofpeel 14 raised with respect to its rearward end.

The level of the longitudinal axis of peel 14 in the vertical plane iscontrolled by operation of hydraulic cylin ders 36 acting between theirconnection points 38 with the frame of carriage 1i) and connectionpoints 37 with the cranks 28. When hydraulic cylinders 3e are extendedfrom their position as shown in the drawing, the cranks 28 will rotatein a clockwise direction about shafts 3t). Clockwise rotation of cranks28 lowers trunnions 32 and the rearward end of peel 14 and moveshydraulic motors 25 along rods 22 toward the forward end of peel 14,thereby lowering the upwardly extending reaches of chain 19 and theforward end of peel 14. Retraction of hydraulic cylinders 36 from anextended position rotates cranks 28 in a counterclockwise directionraising trunnions 32 and the rearward end of peel 14 and movingrearwardly hydraulic motors 25 and thus raising the forward end of peel14. In the drawing, peel 14 is shown in its highest level positionindicated by dashed line 49. Its lowest level position is indicated bydashed line 41.

The maximum elevation of the longitudinal axis of peel 14 with respectto a horizontal through trunnions 32 is indicated by dashed line 42. Toassume this position peel 14 is first moved from the position shown inthe drawing to a position indicated by dashed line 41 by extendinghydraulic cylinders 36 and lowering the peel in horizontal attitudeafter which hydraulic motors 25 are retracted moving upper assembly 21back and raising the upwardly extending reaches of chain 19 and thus theforward end of peel 14. It will be apparent, of course, that the peelmay be positioned in any level position between that shown in thedrawing and that indicated by dashed line 41 as well as in any tiltedposition between those indicated by dashed lines 39 and 42 by properoperation of hydraulic cylinders 36 and hydraulic motors 25.

As explained above, the translation in a vertical plane of thelongitudinal axis of peel 14 through various positions of parallelism,either horizontal or tilted from the horizontal, is accomplished solelyby the extension 01' retraction of hydraulic cylinders 36 and therotation of cranks 28 about shafts 30.

In order to insure the translation of the longitudinal axis of peel 14through various positions of parallelism by the extension and retractionof hydraulic cylinders 36, the points of connection 27 and 32 of thehydraulic motors 25 and peel 14 to the cranks 28, respectively, must belocated so that rotation of crank arms 28 through a given angle raisesor lowers both the forward and rearward support points of peel 14 equalamounts on and along parallel paths.

Broadly, this is accomplished by arranging pivot point 27 and the axisof trunnions 32 with respect to the center of rotation of cranks 2S,i.e. the axis of shafts 30, so that the perpendicular distance betweenthe center of rotation of cranks 28 and a line passing through pivotpoint 27 parallel to or coincident with a line of linear displacement ofchain 19 and the perpendicular distance between the axis of shafts 3iand a line parallel to or coincident with the desired path of travel ofboth the forward and rearward support points of peel 14 are equal.

In the specific embodiment illustrated in the drawing, the desired pathsof travel of the forward and rearward support points are parallelvertical lines passing through these points. A line parallel to orcoincident with a path of linear displacement of chain 19 is horizontalif that por tion of the chain whose displacement is to be considered isthe portion extending between pulleys Ztl and upper assembly 21. Thus,the perpendicular distance between a horizontal line passing throughpivot point 27 and the axis of shafts 30 is made equal to theperpendicular distance between the desired vertical path of travel ofthe axis of trunnions 32 and the axis of shafts 30. Additionally, in thecase shown in the drawing, a line through pivot point 27 and the axis ofshafts 30 is perpendicular to a line through the axis of trunnions 32and the axis of shafts 30 because the desired path of travel of theforward and rearward support points is perpendicular to the path oftravel of upper assembly 21 along rods 22 and a line coincident with aline of linear displacement of that portion of chain 19 between upperassembly 21 and pulleys 20.

In a forging manipulator, it is, of course, desirable that the forwardand rearward support points of the peel be able to be translated insubstantially parallel vertical paths and this consideration generallyfixes the location of the center of rotation of the cranks with respectto the axis of the trunnions or the rearward support point of the peel.Thus, the axis of shafts 39 should be located vertically onsubstantially the same level as the midpoint of the vertical distancebetween the upper and lower limits of travel of the rearward supportpoint of peel 14.

While the forward and rearward support points, strictly speaking, travelon the arcs of circles and on arcs of circles of different radii, thenumber of degrees of travel along their respective arcs is sufiicientlysmall that the straight line treatment of their motion in thedescription above is substantially correct.

Further, with respect to the apparatus of the peel control of myinvention, it will of course, be obvious that the structure could bearranged so that more or less hydraulic motors 25, hydraulic cylinders36 and cranks 28 might be employed in various combinations to accomplishthe same results as the preferred embodiment described above. The systemfor supplying hydraulic power to the hydraulic motors and cylinders ofthe apparatus and the controls, therefore, may be of conventionalconstruction and arrangement and, for example,

of the general type and similar to those described in the aforementionedKendall patent.

It is also true that upper assembly 21 need not travel in a horizontalpath or a line substantially perpendicular to the parallel paths oftravel of the forward and rearward support points of the peel in orderto achieve the vertical translation through successive positions ofparallelism of the peel provided that the point of connection 27 betweencrank arms 28 and chain 19 be suitably selected with respect to thecenter of rotation of cranks 28' and a corresponding location of theaxis of trunnions 32. in the manner explained above.

From the foregoing explanation and the description of a preferredembodiment of my invention, it will be apparent that I have provided apeel control for a forging manipulator capable of translating thelongitudinal axis of the peel through various positions of parallelismautomatically by the application of a force to a single point on theapparatus, ie the actuation of hydraulic cylinders 36. Also, the peelcontrol of my invention permits tilting in a vertical plane of thelongitudinal axis of the peel above and below the horizontal and theautomatic translation of the longitudinal axis of the peel to variouspositions of parallelism when the axis is horizontal or tilted in avertical plane with respect to the horizontal. Further, my invention ofan apparatus for controlling the motion of a forging manipulator peel ina vertical plane is compatible with known ways of providing rotationalmotion of the peel about its longitudinal axis, displacement of the peelalong its longitudinal axis and displacement of the peel in a horizontalplane containing its longitudinal axls.

Changes, modifications and improvements may be made to theabove-described preferred form of my invention without departing fromthe precepts and principles of the invention. Therefore, I do not wishmy patent to be limited to the particular form of my inventionspecifically illustrated and described nor in any manner inconsistentwith the extent to which my invention has promoted the art.

I claim:

1. In a forging manipulator the combination of a peel having one forwardsupport point and one rearward support point, means including ahydraulic motor for movably supporting said peel at one of said points,crank means for movably supporting said peel at the other of saidpoints, means anchoring said motor on said crank means for moving saidmotor when said other support point is moved, and means independent ofsaid motor for moving said crank.

2. The manipulator of claim 1 With means for actuating said motorindependently of said crank.

3. In a forging manipulator the combination of a peel having first andsecond points of support, means including a hydraulic motor for movablysupporting said peel at one of said points, crank means for movablysupporting said peel at the other of said points and for moving saidmotor, and means independent of said motor for moving said crank.

4. The manipulator of claim 3 with means for actuating said motorindependently of said crank.

5. The manipulator of claim 3 wherein said crank means has a center ofrotation and is connected to said peel and said motor at points locatedat equal distances from said center of rotation of said crank meansmeasured perpendicular to the path of movement of said motor and thepath of travel of said points of support.

6. In a forging manipulator, the combination of a peel havinglongitudinally spaced first and second points of support, first andsecond means for movably supporting said peel at said first and secondpoints of support respectively, movable extensible and retractable meansfor interconnecting said first and second means whereby to move saidpoints of support of said peel, and means for moving saidinterconnecting means.

7. In a forging manipulator, the combination of a peel havinglongitudinally spaced first and second points of support, first meansincluding an extensible and retractable link for movably supporting saidpeel at one of said points, crank means for movably supporting said peelat the other of said points and interconnected with and for moving saidfirst means, and means for moving said crank.

8. The manipulator of claim 7 in which said crank means has an axis ofrotation fixed with respect to said peel and about which it is rotatedby said last-named means, the interconnection of said first means withsaid crank means being so located with respect to said axis of rotationand said other point of support that said first and second points ofsupport are caused tomove equal amounts in the same direction alongparallel paths upon rotation of said crank means by actuation of saidlastnamed means.

9. The manipulator of claim 7 in which said one of said points is movedwith respect to said other of said points by extension and retraction ofsaid link.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,257,546 Dienenthal et a1 Sept. 30, 1941 2,345,572 Brosius Apr. 4, 19442,720,800 Taylor Oct. 18, 1955 2,864,271 Kendall Dec. 16, 1958

1. IN A FORGING MANIPULATOR THE COMBINATION OF A PEEL HAVING ONE FORWARDSUPPORT POINT AND ONE REARWARD SUPPORT POINT, MEANS INCLUDING AHYDRAULIC MOTOR FOR MOVABLY SUPPORTING SAID PEEL AT ONE OF SAID POINTS,CRANK MEANS FOR MOVABLY SUPPORTING SAID PEEL AT THE OTHER OF SAIDPOINTS, MEANS ANCHORING SAID MOTOR ON SAID CRANK MEANS FOR MOVING SAIDMOTOR WHEN SAID OTHER SUPPORT POINT IS MOVED, AND MEANS INDEPENDENT OFSAID MOTOR FOR MOVING SAID CRANK.